Axle journal box



N. D. LEVIN.

AXLE JOURNAL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED 1ULY28.19|4.

Patented May 2; 1922.

I wheels, respectively. Another object is to NILS lD. LEVIN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE JEFFREY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

AXLE JOURNAL Box.

Application filed Ju1y 28,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that NILs D. LEVIN, a citizen of the United States, residing'at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State ful Improvements in Axle Journal Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

" This jinvention relates to axle journal boxes such as are used with locomotives and cars having rotary axles rigid with their wheels. One of the objects of the invention is to provide anew and usefularrangement ofvthe axle boxes and their immediate adjuncts in relation to the truck body and the make a novel" provision for controlling or limiting the movements of the axle and the body frame in relation to each other; another is to provide a novel mounting'of the axle in its box to permit access to the structural elements which'eflect the limiting or control above referred to, andto adjust or remove the thrust elements, and permit the substitution of others. i

In the drawings:

a Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a part of a locomotive provided with my improvements; 7 Fig. 2 is a view-taken in section through apart of the truck body, and showing-a wheel, its axle box and part of the axle, in plan view;

Fig. 3 s a central vertical section of the box showing the axle box when its relatively movable parts are in working-positions;

Fig. 4: is a similar vertical section, but showing the closure element'of the box in its open position.-

I will first describe the specific form of mechanism which is illustrated in the drawings,and more or less in detail.

1 represents the outer vertical side wall or plate of the body part or frame part of a mine locomotive. These are now generally made by casting or as sections of sheet metal. As shown, this part of the truck body has its outer surface situated substantially continuously in'one vertical plane, and the parts to .be described are so designed as to lie between the, outermost planes at the two sides of the car. Cars or locomotives of this special sub-class are intended for usein mine entries or passageways where the sidewalls of rock or'coal frequently come close to the l case the locomotive is' derailed.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented May 2, 1922.

1914. Serial No. 853,770.

track lines; and by arranging the parts in :the way which I have shown there are no projections to impinge upon or be struck by walls or objects close to the track. of Ohio, have invented certain new and usei This wall 1' is formed with an aperture of suitable size, or with a wide slot which extends upward from its lower edge.

2, 2 are frame and spacing barsarran ged vertically at the edges ofeach aperture and on the lnside of the truck plate 1. To the inner faces of these are secured the vertical plates 3, with their inner; edges projecting somewhat beyond the bars 2'to provide guides for the axle box.

At the bottom .of the aperture across bar latter being particularly liable to occur in The'journal box. is indicated at 5. It-is formed with an upper part5, a lower part 5 and connecting side parts; and. inthe. latter there are formed grooves 4 which fit the guide edges of the plates 3, the boxbeing allowed a vertical play relative toj-thetruck' body. 7, 7' are upwardly opening'sockets formed in the upper part of the box, andin' these are'seated the springs 8. 9 is a bar,

preferably-of angle metal, which rigidly riveted to the truck plate 1, the horizontal part ofthe angle being near the planes of theupper edge of the aperture in theside wall and bearing downward upon the tops of the springs. .10 indicates the bearing piece or bushing, customarily made of brass, and arranged to rest and bear upon the journal part 11 of the axle 11*. The weight of the truck part of the locomotive or car bears downward through the parts at 9, 8, 5 and 11 upon the wheel 12, and this in turn on the rails 13.

The box 5 is formed with an interior chamber, extending axially of the axle and its journal 11,this chamber not only receiving the journal, but being so shaped as to provide an oil passage from thesupply orifice at 5 downward around the bushing to a somewhat enlarged bottom cavity 14.

The outer end part of the box is" so formed as-to provide vertical guides and to: these are fitted a movable closure orcover 15, the

guides on the box being indicated at 15*, and. the side edges of the closure being rebated so as to provide opposing guide parts at 15 Thetop wall 5 of the box has a lip at 5 which lies outside of and forms a tight joint-with the upper rebated part of the tom to top and without projections. It is held either in its open position or in its closed position by means of a lock device at 17 which, as shown, consists of a sliding pin or rod mounted in aperturesin lugs on the bottom wall 5 of the box, the spring tending to force the. lock pin outward.

"When the cover 15 is in closed position the lockpiece is held firmly below. it. -it:is desired :to. openthe cover'or closure-1t When fiis merely necessary to push-thelock pin "back way that lubricating them is difficult.

wear is excessive, and frequent separations .a shortdistance, and thereuponthe cover can dropor be pushed downward. The "lock,

however,'prevents the cover from-dropping entirely from thebox for it is providedwvith :a seat at 18 for the point of-the :loclrpin' to automatically move into, As-th e=inner face of the cover or closure is smooth and con tinuous, as above described, the po nt of the lock pin will: slip over this surface until the notched part at 18 reaches it'when it automatically seats itself. 7

- A socket is formed in the endofthe-joun hal 11, and into [this there is tightly fitted afithrust element'QO. An opposing thrust element 19'is seated in the cover orclosure 15. Preferably the part at 20 is a hardened steel pin driven into the shaft at its axis,-and

the companion or opposing part at 19 is a hardened steelplate which is tlghtlyfitted 'into a seat. "lt can be fastened in any suitable way; upsetting. the metal of the cover at points adjacent to-the edges of the thrust piece being sufficient.

These thrust taking parts at 19 and -20 are so shaped, arranged and related that the endwise thrust of the axle is taken at points directly ator adjacent to its axis.

Heretofore-theparts of similar structures have been so made and related that-the longitudinal thrust of the axle has been transmitted directly from the wheel hubs to the boxes either directly or bymeans of wearing plates.

The surfaces which take the thrust and contact are so located as to be exposed-to the wearing action of grit and foreignvmaterial, and, moreover, in such The of the parts are necessary in order to substitute new wearing devices.

:With parts made in theway I have shown and describedthe wear resulting) from end thrust isreduced to a minimum and the contact points are brought to a position where they are not only protected from the entrance of dust and foreign material, but are readily lubricated, the axle taking up the lubricant and distributing it not only over its cylindrical. surface, but delivering more or less of it at its ends where it reaches these contact points.

if, however, after long intervals of'use, it is found that wear has occurred at the axially arranged thrust surfaces, it is merely necessary to drop the cover or closure 15 downward and then by the blow of a suitable tool through the-aperture 21 dislodge-the plate 19 and insert another, and removezthe thrust pin at 20 and insert another. One way for readily accomplishing the latter is to form a few turns of an external ;thread at the outer end of the pin, prior to inserting it, and then, when the pin is to be'withdrawn, rotating a suitable nut upon this threaded end which will quickly draw it loose.

Having thus described in detail the,..construction and arrangement of parts presented-in the drawings for the-'purpose of illustrating my invention, it will bewseen that the essential feature of the :latterwcan be maintained without necessarily employing or following all of these details. The

closure or cover part 15 may be'regarded as a holder for a thrust taking element,- and although I prefer at .presentto haveit carried by'such a holder, it will be-seen that there. can be'modifications in this respect. And, again, the thrust taking element which is secured to the shaft can be attachedthereto or mounted thereon in any-of various ways" which will still 'be characterized by the fact that these removable i'thrustwtaking elements are arranged directly atthe axis and in a protecting'chamber which permits lubrication and prevents the access oftfOreign material. The devices for attaching,

--mounting and adjustingthe movable closure or cover 15 can be modified-and other forms of looks or retaining devices can be substituted for that which I have shown.

What I claim is: 1. In a mechanism for-mounting and holding. acar axle, having a journal part and a wheel inside of said journal part, the combination of a ournal box engagingwith the journal part of the axle, a thrust element removablyconnected to the axle, an oppositely situated second 'thrustelement, said thrust elements'being arranged to bear against each other at points which are proximate to the axis of the axle, and a carrier for'thesecond thrust element adapted to hold it stationary axially of the axle and to be moved bodily therewith independ- 'ently of the box and of the axle.

2. The combination of the wheel, the axle, the box outside of the wheel, the thrust element carried by the axle at its axis, the

cover part of the box bodily movable from an open position to a closed position, the lock for automatically engaging with and holding the said cover part in either of said positions,and a second thrust element carried by said cover art and normally situated at the axis of the axle.

3. The combination of the axle, the track wheel, the journal boxprovided with means for preventing relative longitudinal movement of the axle and having a cover or closure part sliding vertically in planes outside of the end of the axle from a closed position to an open position, and a lock in vertical planes between said closure part and the wheel and adapted to automatically engage with and hold the closure in either of said positions.

4:. The combination of the car frame, the a to an open position to permit access to the axle journal and to the interior of the box,

and a spring-pressed latch mounted on the underside of said box and automatically engaging said closure to lock it in either its open position or its closed position.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses. NILS D. LEVIN. Witnesses:

F. J. HENRY,

DUDLEY T. FISHER. 

